Phantom Days

by Angela O'Keeffe

Before Isabel has even cracked the spine of a novel she bought on a whim ahead of an overseas trip, she senses something beginning within her. From Sydney to London and back again, the book is a quiet observer. When it’s left in an airport taxi and Isabel’s new boyfriend takes it home, the book begins to learn about him – about his family and his past. Soon, it begins to understand: Isabel is not safe.

Angela O’Keeffe is the master of voice, and Phantom Days is a marvel: eerie, elegant and unforgettable. With O’Keeffe’s signature emotional depth and narrative quirkiness, this novel explores the unknowability of other people, the mysteries of the body, and the strange ways stories shape, complicate and safeguard our lives.

Genres: Fiction

176 pages

Published April 28, 2026

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sydney author Angela O'Keeffe has created an interesting niche in contemporary Australian publishing: she writes short novels with non-human narrators.  In her debut novel Night Blue (2021, see my review), Jackson Pollock’s iconic painting ‘Blue Poles’ tells the story of its own creation, and the novella was shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Literary Award for New Writing and for the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards.  The Sitter (2023, see my review) is narrated by the ghostly presence of Hortense Cezanne, hovering over a writer’s shoulder as she struggles to write the story of Hortense’s relationship with Paul Cezanne.  The Sitter won the 2024 Christina Stead Prize for Fiction in the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards.

And now, Phantom Days.   It's a departure from and a logical extension of this preoccupation with works of art and stymied communication: it's narrated by a book (which is what Georgia the writer in The Sitter was trying to  write while stranded in a Paris under Covid restrictions) — and also by the ashes of a mother from the jar on a mantelpiece (the fate feared by Georgia, that she would die in the pandemic without telling her story).  Like Georgia, this disembodied mother has a crucial story to tell, but like the book these ashes cannot do anything to alter events.

When I'm at Benn's Bookshop, I usually have a chat about the new books they have on display because I've often read them. This week I spotted Phantom Days on the shelf, and cracked jokes about O'Keeffe's non-sentient narrators, wondering what would be next? a tube of toothpaste? a set of keys?  But no.  O'Keeffe's narrators are never from the detritus of everyday life.  They are silent, but they speak to us all the same, and we carry them within, whether in their actual presence or not.  The ruins at Pompeii, the sculptures and artworks I've seen in Europe, the music in my heart and the thousands of books I've read are all a part of me, and the best of them speak to me time and and again.  This is why we need the creative arts...

To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2026/05/08/p...

[Rhys Parry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I carried this book from Avid reader, to the gym and my local cafe.
As I moved between locations as I read, I felt a curious sensation of being witnessed by it.
Phenomenally good and touching story.

[Sammy Mylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

my first introduction to angela o’keeffe and i was fully taken in by her beautifully sparse prose!! i love that the whole book takes such a simple adage of ‘a book can save a life’, and explores it with such clarity and sincerity

[Chanel Chapters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Girl buys book. Book discovers boyfriend is sus.

4.5

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25/5

[Brittany Fletcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not sure I needed to read a book that anthropomorphised books with the state of my bookshelves but loved this either way

[Georgia H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ate this up in two hours

[Josie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful short read with my breakfast this morning.

The book is written from multiple characters’ perspectives, including that of a book that is purchased by one of the main characters. Loved the personification of the book and the idea of a book witnessing the lives around it.

“A book is made without eyes. A book has other ways to see.”

Loved the writing style, felt like they established the relationships between characters well for such a short book

[Rachael Brain · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

Well. This had me pausing for thought afterwards. It gripped me with the undertones of phantom
Pregnancy, domestic violence and the unbreakable bond between a mother and her daughter.
The real magic of this short story is the undoubtable stand books can have in our lives.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished this in a bar, with a pint of Coopers.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this author’s first novel, Night Blue, and greatly enjoyed her second The Sitter. In this, O’Keefe’s masterful use of non human narrators continues, in this instance - Book. Similarly the author’s sparse prose with never a word wasted. Although this novel did not quite capture me in the same way as her previous, it was still an excellent and totally enjoyable read and I will continue to look forward to this author’s works.

[Mars · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting magical realism about the power of books, and the tragedy of family connection

[Insha · Rating 3 out of 5]

“There are so many talented people in the world who don’t feel the need to create”.

An Aussie read I got while I’m here! Although, it wasn’t as hard core and Aussie-led as I hoped. The concept of the book’s perspective was pretty cool and I enjoyed the writing (a lot!) but overall, the story itself was quite alright. Gonna give her other stuff a read :)

⭐️ 2.5
📍sydney

[Cass Moriarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an extraordinary, spare, glittering literary gem is PHANTOM DAYS (UQP 2026) by Angela O’Keefe. In her trademark prose style – ethereal, strange, beguiling and with a whimsical sense of wonder, O’Keefe presents a story of two women, mother and daughter, Maggie and Isabel, and their connection through a book. The book narrates most of the novel (very meta!)

Some beautiful quotes I chose at random:

‘A book comes into the world knowing it is a saviour, of sorts.’

‘A book is made without eyes. A book has other ways to see.’

From the book being signed by its author at a book launch, to remaining unopened and unread on a flight across the world and back again, the book witnesses the relationship between mother and daughter, it sees the danger to both, it knows it must save them, but what can it do? It is only a book.

This slim, literary novel is meditative, engaging and compelling. It celebrates the light and hope of art. It shifts between reality and a dreamlike state. It is eerie, haunting, graceful and unforgettable. It explores bodies and relationships and all the ways people know and do not know each other, all the ways people hurt, save and redeem each other. It’s about phantom pregnancies, the hint of violence like the scent of blood in the air, connections, farewells, leavings both planned and unexpected. It is an elegy to the small moments of transformation that we attend to and which make up our lives.

As with her previous novel, THE SITTER, O’Keefe wastes not a word. Moving, tender, warm, heartbreaking, hopeful and almost spiritual, PHANTOM DAYS will resonate and reverberate long after the last page is turned. A truly gorgeous novel crafted with skill and a touch of magic.

[Jillwilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This narrative is told from the several perspectives including that of a book – and of a container of human ashes. Now having typed that, I realise that I would never willingly read a book with this set-up. It sounds too hokey. And yet it kind of works. Kind of…

A youngish woman Isabel and her mother Maggie share the story with Book in alternating chapters. Isabel is seeing a man named Lewis who may or may not be quite unpleasant. Maggie has cancer.
This book (small b) is about the challenge in ever really thinking you know someone. It’s about art – the paintings of Rothko and the novel Crime and Punishment both get some air time. And then there is the meditations of Book who provides insights into the writer, the creation process, and the post-publication fate of books. The relationship between books and their readers.

I’ve always wanted to do something creative with the idea that books on bookshelves find themselves next to some strange bedfellows – depending on the ways that you shelve your books. I used to be alphabetical and now it's random. Some people do colours but I’m sure that’s passe now. Anyhow, glancing at my shelves now, there is an Elizabeth Strout novel (Olive Kitteridge) sandwiched between Jenny Ollfil’s ‘Dept of Speculation’ and Philip Roth’s “Patriarchy’. So three American books -but what would these books make of each other? It would be fun to have conversations between them.

I digress. This novel also looks a little at the hidden violence in relationships. My biggest beef is not about a talking book – it’s more that the novel itself feels a little slight and sketchy. I’m sure that this was deliberate – but am not sure what I am left with at the end of the novel.

[kalvid · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second time reading Angela's work, and the same as before I enjoyed it very much! I randomly picked it at my local library and devoured it in just a week (very quick for my standard).

"They were (re: adults) simply filling in time, and if they were lucky, they might be entertained along the way. (p.107)"

Reflections on being a writer: as an inspiring author, I learned a lot from this book. I love how deeply Angela writes and I, too, as a reader, feel the same depth as she probably also felt writing it. One thing that I realized is that, as an older writer, Angela has lots of knowledge about changes in a woman's body. And to have that, for me, is amazing, and it makes me more curious of my own changes as I'm getting older.

Simplicity speaks louder than extravagant events: there're no big conflicts in this book (as how my other favorite books are). But I could feel how wrong it is for Isabel's boyfriend to treat her that way, I could also feel the intense internal conflict that Maggie's feeling to her late husband. I learned a lot from this book on how to write simple yet impactful conflicts.

Thank you for writing this unique and beautiful book, Angela! I wish to read more of your future books! 💙

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not enough!

I loved the premise and the themes but it just didn't go deep enough for me.

I found the chapters too short and blunt, not giving me enough of each character to connect to, and the inconsistent and clichéd use of second person felt like an after thought. It could've been so elegant!

I was left with way too many unanswered questions (despite the "neat" ending) and was confused by a number of references and allusions that I felt I was supposed to get but just couldn't make sense of.

This book also touches on a number of big topics like domestic violence, cancer survival, and pregnancy but it felt like things were glanced over when we could've this wonderful opportunity to delve into each character's experience as witnessed by the book.

I read this as part of a book club and there were a few who liked it exactly for the reasons I didn't, so each to their own with this one! We had some fantastic discussion on the Rothko reference and trying to make sense of things.

If you're intrigued, give it a go - it's short.

[Poppy Gee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've heard picture books described as literary vodka, meaning a bigger story which has been distilled to a perfect, small thing. Phantom Days is also literary vodka. It's an emotionally complex story that's pared back to its finest, purest parts. It has literary bones, with the beating, thrilling heart of a crime novel, and it moves as fluidly as a song. A wonderful, thoughtful novel about the fascinating intricacies and mysteries of ordinary lives. I adored it. My favourite character was Book. I never think of myself as drawn to non-human characters, but I found myself looking forward to Book's chapters and their insights. It reminded me of some of the ways I loved Marcellus the octopus in Remarkably Bright Creatures. Phantom Days will appeal to readers who are drawn to beautifully sparse books about hidden tension, grief, love, betrayal, loyalty and human dilemmas, in the tradition of Claire Keegan.

[Nat White · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short quirky novel explores the relationship ship between the book and the reader - it’s a consideration of what is brought to life through the act of reading, but also the intersections of readers’ lives through a book. O’Keeffe’s inclusion of references to Crime & Punishment adds poignance and subtext, demonstrating the web of meaning built through shared and layered experiences of reading. Most centrally, the perspective shifts between Isabel, her mother and a book (!) make this a particularly interesting read.

[Isabelle G · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book caught my attention on my recent trip to Australia, and my husband, casually mentioning that we have a 20kg limit on our luggage, convinced me not to get it. I managed to get a copy, and it was worth it! I found the writing style quite original, with the personification of the book and the phantom pregnancy metaphor. I would have loved Isabel to speak more in detail about the pink light.

[Dead John Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story written by a book. That’s what got me reading this book. A viewpoint other than human, a world seen not by eyes but by something else.

Told by a book that is interwoven into several lives, witnessed by this passive observer and retold here.

It’s a strange little story about a woman who has a phantom pregnancy (not a spoiler)

It’s also a murder story but not as you would imagine.

I enjoyed reading this book.

[Evelyn · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

This is a strange, yet intriguing book whose plot might have made a good Hitchcockian mystery. It is narrated from several different points of view including that of a book purchased by the main character which comes into the possession of several major characters who play key roles in the story, and plays a major role in the denouement of the plot which centers around the relationship between a woman and her ex-boyfriend.

[Maggie Blakeney]

Stunning prose. I think I would have enjoyed this more/been more immersed if I sat down and read this in one go rather than sporadically over a month - this may be why I didn't get much from the characters. I do love the concept of an anthropomorphic book that connects to it's reader just as a reader would connect to it.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not like any other book I have read. An anthropomorphised narrator, a book, offering insight to a mother and daughter's intertwining lives. The prose was excellent. Not overdone, and dripping in humanity. I found it to be a study of life in its vulnerable and brutal, and also wonderful. Thoroughly enjoyed the entire read.

[Robert Watson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The best part of this book was the cover and the interesting story of artist Mark Rothko which was mentioned as an aside. I don't have a problem with telling a story in an unconventional way but a sentient book, an urn of human ashes that tells the story of a murder and a phantom pregnancy, give me strength. Thankfully brief.

[Alib · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strange little book about a strange little book! The characters did not react as I expected them to which made them hard to understand - not fully formed. A book is passed between Isabel, her Mum, Maggie, and (ex) boyfriend Lewis and through the book we witness a little of their lives.

[John Purcell · Rating 5 out of 5]

God I loved this little book about a sentient book. Yes, you read that right. And you will love it, too. Imagine Anita Brookner enjoying an unexpected flight of fancy.

[Madeleine Laing · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 - really beautiful, puts you in such a specific trance-like mood, I wish I had carved out an afternoon to read it in one sitting.

[Melanie Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and moving. Read it in one day and was completely immersed.

[Marion Lopez-Hamadi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eerie, ethereal, captivating…. Add to this a beautiful prose and a story worth telling!
Angela O’Keefe is a beautiful author